Dickson Street

Ozark Mountains

　　You can't have a North American college town without a main drag packed with cafes, bars, little stores and students being students. Dickson St is that thoroughfare in Fayetteville, and besides being a nice example of the genre, it's the heart of entertainment and cultural life in Fayetteville. The most...

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

Ozark Mountains

　　Located about 12 miles southwest of Fayetteville, this state park encompasses some 700 acres where the eponymous Civil War battle of Prairie Grove was fought in 1862. The battlefield has some historical interpretive signage and a museum with artifacts from the fight, but the real draw is the natural beauty:...

Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks

Ozark Mountains

　　Even if you're the type to roll your eyes at the words 'botanical gardens,' take some time out to visit this 40-acre wonderland. You'll find the considerable diversity of flora of the surrounding uplands replicated at a miniature scale, as well as a host of themed gardens – Japanese, sensory,...

Terra Studios

Ozark Mountains

　　Terra Studios is hard to pin down. It's...a big piece of public art? Sure, with plenty of sculptures, a kid-friendly area, a labyrinth, and reminders of the wind's power. Consider this a crazy hybrid amusement park and a sneak peek into the creative culture of the Ozarks. Catch live music...

Nahcotta

New Hampshire Coast

　　Nahcotta is one of Portsmouth's key galleries, located in the historical center. ...

Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion

New Hampshire Coast

　　This 42-room place south of the town center was home to New Hampshire's first royal governor and served as the colony's government center from 1741 to 1766. The lilacs on its grounds are descendants of the first lilacs planted in America, which were brought over from England by Governor Benning...

Market Square

New Hampshire Coast

　　The heart of Portsmouth is this picturesque square, set neatly beneath the soaring white spire of the North Church. Within a few steps of the square are open-air cafes, colorful storefronts, and tiny galleries where banjo-playing buskers entertain the tourists and locals that drift past on warm summer nights. ...

USS Albacore

New Hampshire Coast

　　Like a fish out of water, this 205ft-long submarine is now a beached museum on a grassy lawn. Launched from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1953, the Albacore was once the world's fastest submarine. It housed a crew of 55 and was piloted around the world for 19 years without firing...

John Paul Jones House

New Hampshire Coast

　　This former boardinghouse is where America's first great naval commander resided in Portsmouth. Jones, who uttered, 'I have not yet begun to fight!' during a particularly bloody engagement with the British, is believed to have lodged here during the outfitting of the Ranger (1777) and the America (1781). The marvelous...

Moffatt-Ladd House

New Hampshire Coast

　　Originally built by an influential ship captain for his son, the Georgian Moffatt-Ladd House was later the home of General William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The 18th-century chestnut tree and the old-fashioned gardens behind the house are delightful. ...

Wentworth Gardner House

New Hampshire Coast

　　This 1760 structure is one of the finest Georgian houses in the US. Elizabeth and Mark Hunking Wentworth were among Portsmouth's wealthiest and most prominent citizens, so no expense was spared in building this home, which was a wedding gift for their son. Access is by guided tour. 　　The adjacent...

Strawbery Banke Museum

New Hampshire Coast

　　Spread across a 10-acre site, the Strawbery Banke Museum is an eclectic blend of period homes that date back to the 1690s. Costumed guides recount tales that took place among the 40 buildings (10 furnished). Strawbery Banke includes Pitt Tavern (1766), a hotbed of American revolutionary sentiment, Goodwin Mansion (a...

Petrified Forest

Napa Valley

　　Three million years ago at this now roadside-Americana attraction, a volcanic eruption at Mt St Helena blew down a stand of redwoods. The trees fell in the same direction, away from the blast, and over the millennia the mighty giants’ trunks turned to stone. 　　The 2017 wildfire damaged a lot...

Old Faithful Geyser

Napa Valley

　　Calistoga’s miniversion of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful shoots boiling water 30ft to 80ft into the air, every 10 to 20 minutes. The vibe is pure roadside Americana, with folksy hand-painted interpretive exhibits, picnicking and a little petting zoo, where you can come nose-to-nose with llamas. It’s 2 miles northwest of town,...

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

Napa Valley

　　This park features a 36ft-high water-powered mill wheel dating to 1846 – the largest still operating in North America. The best part: you can actually see them grinding flour when they open up for tours on the weekends. Weekdays, it's still fun to stop by for a peek. In early...

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

Napa Valley

　　A mile-long trail leads from Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park to adjacent Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, where there’s a swimming pool ($5) and camping, plus hiking through redwood groves. If you're two or more adults, go first to Bothe and pay $8, instead of the per-head charge at Bale...

Olabisi Wines

Napa Valley

　　In downtown Calistoga, this tasting room run by a long-time winemaker specializes in extremely small-production wines produced with wild yeast. The big Cabs, floral Pinots and dry whites often sell out quickly, with the winery producing less than 1000 cases a year. Bottles cost $38 to $125. Tasting fee is...

Sharpsteen Museum

Napa Valley

　　Across from the picturesque 1902 City Hall (originally an opera house), the Sharpsteen Museum was created by an ex-Disney animator (whose Oscar is on display) and houses a fantastic diorama of town in the 1860s, big Victorian dollhouse, full-size horse-drawn carriage and a restored cottage from entrepreneur Samuel Brannan’s original...

Robert Louis Stevenson State Park

Napa Valley

　　At this undeveloped state park 8 miles north of Calistoga, the long-extinct volcanic cone of Mt St Helena marks Napa Valley’s end. It's a strenuous 5-mile climb to the peak’s 4343ft summit, but what a view – 200 miles on a clear winter’s day. Check conditions before setting out; it...

Safari West

Napa Valley

　　Giraffes in Wine Country? Whadya know. Safari West sprawls over 400 acres and hosts wildebeests, zebras, cheetahs and other exotic animals, which mostly roam free. See them on a guided 2½-hour safari in open-sided jeeps, which also includes a 30-minute hike; reservations required, no kids under four (unless you book...

Boardwalk & Pier

First Coast

　　Follow Main St E and you'll cross Daytona's sabal-palm-lined, ocean-fronting boardwalk, bedecked with dollar-grabbing ice-cream shops, amusement arcades, rides and patios where you can sip beer from plastic cups. It's fun for the family with a side order of sleaze in the form of dirty T-shirt shops and dodgy tattoo...

Tomoka State Park

First Coast

　　The 20-minute drive here from downtown Daytona Beach is almost as pleasant as the park itself, a bird-watchers' heaven of former indigo fields turned hardwood forests. A canopy of trees overhangs the two-lane road like a green tunnel, letting in only the stray dapple of sunlight. ...

Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art

First Coast

　　Part of the Museum of Arts & Sciences complex, this striking must-see museum, designed to look like a rural Floridian house, tells the story of the Sunshine State via the largest collection of Florida-themed oil and watercolor paintings in the world. ...

Museum of Arts & Sciences

First Coast

　　This self-guided museum has a healthy dose of brain food for a fast and furious little town like Daytona. There's a delightful mishmash of everything from Cuban art to Coca-Cola memorabilia, train cars to teddy bears, a 13ft skeleton of a giant sloth, and a planetarium. Admission is free on...

Marine Science Center

First Coast

　　We were impressed by this center's rescue, rehab and release programs for sea turtles and seabirds that nest on Daytona's beaches. It's a fun and environmentally conscious place where adults and kids can enjoy learning about our underwater friends. Exhibits include a 5000-gallon reef aquarium, a stingray touch pool and...

Daytona Beach Drive-In Church

First Coast

　　At Daytona Beach Drive-In Church you can get your daily dose of (Protestant) religion from the comfort of your car. Pull in to the former drive-in movie theater, hook up a speaker or tune your radio to 680AM or 88.5FM and behold the word of…the Reverend. He and the choir...

Southeast Museum of Photography

First Coast

　　We love this hidden treasure in Daytona, a service of the Daytona State College: it's the only museum in Florida dedicated solely to photography. This vibrant modern gallery with excellent lighting and facilities doesn't shy away from provocative subjects in its rotating exhibitions. Best of all, it's free (though donations...

Daytona International Speedway

First Coast

　　The Holy Grail of raceways has a diverse race schedule. Ticket prices skyrocket for good seats at big races, headlined by the Daytona 500 in February. It's worth wandering the massive stands for free on non-race days. First-come, first-served tram tours take in the track, pits and behind-the-scenes areas, while...

Edna Valley Vineyard

Central Coast

　　Sip Paragon Vineyard estate Chardonnay by panoramic windows overlooking fields of grapes. ...

Chamisal Vineyards

Central Coast

　　In a rust-colored barn tasting room, tipple hand-crafted, small-lot wines grown mostly organically. ...

Sextant Wines

Central Coast

　　Boisterous tasting room pours different varietals from Edna Valley and Paso Robles, with a tiny gourmet deli. ...

Niven Family Wine Estates

Central Coast

　　Samples from six different labels inside an early-20th-century wooden schoolhouse, with two bocce ball courts outside. ...

Tolosa Winery

Central Coast

　　No-oak Chardonnay, barrel-selected Pinot Noir and bold estate Syrah, with artisanal cheese, charcuterie and chocolate pairings on weekends. ...

Talley Vineyards

Central Coast

　　Unpretentious, value-priced wines set among rolling hillsides, with vineyard tours ($10, including wine-tasting flight $20 to $40) by appointment. ...

San Luis Obispo Museum of Art

Central Coast

　　By the creek, this small gallery showcases the work of local painters, sculptors, printmakers and fine-art photographers, as well as traveling California art exhibitions. ...

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

Central Coast

　　Those reverberatory bells heard around downtown emanate from this fifth California mission, founded by Padre Junípero Serra in 1772 and named for a 13th-century French saint. Cradled by bountiful gardens, the modest church has an unusual L-shape and whitewashed walls decorated with Stations of the Cross. The friars' former residential...

Sonoma Barracks

Sonoma

　　The adobe Sonoma Barracks was built by Vallejo between 1834 and 1841 to house Mexican troops. Today, interpretive displays describe life during the Mexican and American periods. The barracks became the capital of a rogue nation on June 9, 1846, when American settlers of varying sobriety surprised guards and declared...

Sonoma State Historic Park

Sonoma

　　This park in Sonoma is comprised of multiple sites, most side by side. Founded in 1823, Mission San Francisco Solano anchors the plaza, and was the final California mission. Sonoma Barracks houses exhibits on 19th-century life. The 1886 Toscano Hotel lobby is beautifully preserved – peek inside. The 1852 Vallejo's...

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

Sonoma

　　The 8000-sq-ft modern- and contemporary-art museum presents changing exhibitions by international and local artists, and focuses on building community around art. ...

Hawkes

Sonoma

　　When you’re in downtown Sonoma and don’t feel like fighting traffic, Hawkes' refreshingly unfussy tasting room showcases meaty Cabernet Sauvignon from family-owned vineyards in Alexander Valley, never blended with other varietals. Bottles are $30 to $70; the tasting fee is waived with a purchase over $40. ...

Bartholomew Park

Sonoma

　　The top near-town outdoors destination is 375-acre Bartholomew Park, off Castle Rd, where you can picnic beneath giant oaks and hike 2 miles of trails, with hilltop vistas to San Francisco. The Palladian Villa, at the park’s entrance, is a re-creation of Count Haraszthy’s original Pompeian residence. There's also a...

Vallejo's Home

Sonoma

　　A half-mile northwest of the plaza, this lovely historical estate, also known as Lachryma Montis (Latin for ‘Tears of the Mountain’), was built in the 1850s for General Vallejo and named for the on-site spring, which the Vallejo family made good money from by piping water to town. The Gothic-style...

Cornerstone Sonoma

Sonoma

　　This roadside Wine Country marketplace showcases 25 walk-through (in some cases edible) gardens, along with a bunch of innovative and adorable shops, wine-tasting parlors and on-site Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau. There's a good, if pricey, cafe, and an outdoor 'test kitchen.' Look for the enormous orange Adirondack chair at road’s...

Sonoma Plaza

Sonoma

　　This is the largest plaza in California, and the veritable center for politics, love and community in the Sonoma Valley. Smack in the center of the plaza, the Mission Revival–style city hall, built 1906–08, has identical facades on four sides, reportedly because plaza businesses all demanded City Hall face their...

Moqui Cave

Kanab

　　Five miles north of town, this tourist trap is an oddball collection of genuine dinosaur tracks, real cowboy and Native American artifacts, and other flotsam and jetsam collected in the 1950s – all inside a giant cave. ...